05/04/2026
šØ TAKE ACTION: Protect Michiganās Great Lakes Fishery šØ
Now is the time to speak up. Two bills ā HB 5801 and HB 5802 ā would allow commercial netting and sale of walleye, yellow perch, lake trout and other sport fish from our Great Lakes.
This week matters.
The legislature is not in session, and many representatives are back in their districts holding coffee hours and local meetings.
š Show up in person if you can.
š If not, call or email.
š Tell them clearly: VOTE NO on HB 5801 and HB 5802.
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Why this matters:
š These bills threatenānot modernizeāour fishery.
They introduce industrial-scale harvest on species that are still fragile and heavily supported by hatcheries. These populations were rebuilt over decadesāthey are not guaranteed to withstand renewed commercial pressure.
š Weāve seen this before.
Lake trout were commercially fished to near extinction in Lakes Michigan and Huron. It took 60 years of taxpayer-funded restoration to bring them backāand they still rely on hatcheries. Walleye and perch followed a similar path: depleted, rebuilt, and now at risk again. Perch populations are low in many places in the Great Lakes.
š° The economic tradeoff is staggering.
ā¢ Michiganās sport fishing industry: $4 billion annually
ā¢ Commercial fishing industry: $5.4 million annually
A single sport-caught walleye generates about $80 in local economic activity. That same fish, commercially netted, brings about $1.25 per pound.
This isnāt growthāitās a transfer of a public resource from a thriving economy to a much smaller one, putting thousands of jobs at risk, including:
š£ 570+ charter businesses
šŖ Hundreds of bait shops, tackle manufacturers, marinas, and tourism communities statewide
āļø Legal conflicts are likely.
The bills violate federal law. Multiple provisions of HB 5801and 5802 directly conflict with the federal 1836 Treaty Consent Decree: the 5% undersize fish allowance has no Decree authorization, trawls are prohibited gear in Treaty waters, and the bill's November 1 quota deadline cannot be met under the Decree's December 1 science calendar. Authorizing commercial walleye and perch harvest near Muskegon and Leland triggers mandatory tribal allocation negotiations the DNR's own assessment calls 'very challenging.' Do not pass a bill that will end up in Federal Court.
ā ļø Public safety concerns are real.
Expanding commercial netting increases hazards for recreational boaters across heavily traveled waters like Saginaw Bay, Lake St. Clair, and Lake Erie. Entanglements have caused serious accidentsāand even fatalities.
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š¢ Make your voice heard:
ā¢ Attend a local meeting or coffee hour
ā¢ Call or email your representative
ā¢ Share this post to spread awareness
Tell them: Vote NO on HB 5801 and HB 5802.
Our fisheries, our communities, and our economy depend on it.
ā¬ļø There is a link to find your legislator in the comments below.
